Biomaterial Database

A new, peroral non-radioactive vitamin B12 absorption test compared with the Schilling test. 1995

E Magnus, and C Müller

Dept. of Haematology, Ullevaal Hospital, Oslo, Norway.

The results of a non-radioactive, peroral absorption test have been compared with the results of the traditional Schilling test in 31 cobalamin-deficient patients. The non-radioactive test is simple to perform, is less costly than the Schilling test and seems to give reliable results. The non-radioactive test should be performed after cobalamin treatment, but not until the plasma cobalamin value has declined to below 450 pmol/l. Normal Schilling test was noted in one-third of the patients, while normal non-radioactive test was noted in only one-fifth of the patients. The results reveal some discrepancies between the two tests regarding the response to intrinsic factor. In the non-radioactive test without intrinsic factor, the great variation in values may reflect varying secretion of intrinsic factor, possibly secondary to infestation with Helicobacter pylori. "False normal" Schilling test seems to be more common than previously believed.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007408	Intestinal Absorption	Uptake of substances through the lining of the INTESTINES.	Absorption, Intestinal
D005189	False Positive Reactions	Positive test results in subjects who do not possess the attribute for which the test is conducted. The labeling of healthy persons as diseased when screening in the detection of disease. (Last, A Dictionary of Epidemiology, 2d ed)	False Positive Reaction,Positive Reaction, False,Positive Reactions, False,Reaction, False Positive,Reactions, False Positive
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000284	Administration, Oral	The giving of drugs, chemicals, or other substances by mouth.	Drug Administration, Oral,Administration, Oral Drug,Oral Administration,Oral Drug Administration,Administrations, Oral,Administrations, Oral Drug,Drug Administrations, Oral,Oral Administrations,Oral Drug Administrations
D012546	Schilling Test	A diagnostic test in which vitamin B12 is tagged with radioactive cobalt, taken orally, and gastrointestinal absorption is determined via measurement of the amount of radioactivity in a 24-hour urine collection.	Test, Schilling
D014805	Vitamin B 12	A cobalt-containing coordination compound produced by intestinal micro-organisms and found also in soil and water. Higher plants do not concentrate vitamin B 12 from the soil and so are a poor source of the substance as compared with animal tissues. INTRINSIC FACTOR is important for the assimilation of vitamin B 12.	Cobalamin,Cyanocobalamin,Cobalamins,Eritron,Vitamin B12,B 12, Vitamin,B12, Vitamin